Railroad rail breaking bomb

ABSTRACT

An aerial bomb for breaking railroad rails comprising, in combination: an elongated casing having a longitudinal axis disposed generally horizontally in the operative position of the bomb; a flat vertical guiding vane attached to the rear of said casing; an explosive charge within said casing, said charge having V-grooved portions facing outwardly to the sides of the casing and symmetrical with respect to the plane of said vane; and an elongated detonator in said charge between said V-grooved positions and generally in the plane of said vane.

United States Patent Lake, Calif. [21] Appl. No. 211,918 [22] Filed July23, 1962 [45] Patented [73] Assignee Jan. 26, 197 1 To the United Statesof Americaas Represented by the Secretary of the Navy [54] RAILROAD RAILBREAKING BOMB 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. CL; 102/2, 102/4, 102/24, 102/56 [51] Int. Cl F42b 25/00 [50]Field of Search 102/1, 2, 3,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,409,848 10/1946 Gruelick102/56 2,797,892 6/1957 Ryan 102/20 2,918,006 12/1959 Zborowski 102/202,935,020 5/1960 102/l-I.C. 2,973,164 2/1961 102/H.C. 3,016,827 1/1962102/3 3,092,025 6/1963 102/24 3,064,568 1 1/1962 Ainslie et al. 102/4Primary ExaminerSamuel W. Engle Att0meys-Q. B. Warner and P. H. FirshtABSTRACT: An aerial bomb for breaking railroad rails comprising, incombination: an elongated casing having a longitudinal axis disposedgenerally horizontally in the operative position of the bomb; a flatvertical guiding vane attached to the rear of said casing; an explosivecharge within said casing, said charge having V-grooved portions facingoutwardly to the sides of the casing and symmetrical with respect to theplane of said vane, said V-grooved portions upon detonation of saidcharge serving to direct concentrated jets laterally outwardly of saidcasing; and an elongated detonator in said charge between said V-groovedpositions and generally in the plane of said vane.

'" F FLIGHT PATENTEDJANZBIQTI 3557.697

INVENTORS. TAYLOR B. JOYNER HERBERT D. MALLORY KINGE OKAUCHI Aecnon OFFLIGHT ATTORNEY.

RAILROAD RAIL BREAKING BOMB The invention herein described may bemanufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States ofAmerica for governmental purposes without the payment of any royaltiesthereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to a light bomb; and more particularly toa light bomb designed and shaped to destroy railroad track by cuttingthe rails thereof.

In the past, conventional heavy bombs and rockets have been used todestroy railroad tracks for cutting the lines of communication. Suchbomb or rocket gives a blast which overwhelms rather than cuts thetarget and had the disadvantage that an excessively heavy conventionalbomb or rocket and a virtual direct hit are required to assure damage tothe rails of the track. Also, the weight of the necessary bombs orrockets greatly limit the extent of damage a single aircraft can hope toinflict on the railroad track.

The present invention overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages byproviding a light bomb which employs the lined shaped-charge principlein a small bomb, about pounds in weight, which is designed to direct aconcentrated metallic jet to cut the railroad rails.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a lightbomb which is designed to cut railroad rails.

Another object is the provision of a light bomb employing the linedshaped-charge principle for the purpose of cutting railroad rails.

A further object is to provide a light bomb which is shaped to directthe explosive force thereof in a manner to direct a metallic jet to cuteffectively the rails of a railroad track.

A further object is to provide an aerial bomb carrying a shaped chargeor charges for cutting railroad rails.

Other objects, features and many of the attendant advantages of thisinvention will become readily appreciated as the same become betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed descriptionwhenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present inventionhaving the shape of a double wedge;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the inventionhaving the form of a semiannular, double frustoconical shape;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an aerial form of the bomb shown relatedto the railroad track it is designed to destroy; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another form of aerial bomb.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference charactersdesignate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,there is shown in FIG. 1 an embodiment of the present inventioncomprising a double-wedge charge bomb 11. The bomb 11 comprises a pairof spaced apart, generally parallel plates 13 and 15 and a pair ofV-shaped liners l7 and 19 closing off the ends of the end plates withthe apices and 27 of the liners directed inwardly, the plates and linersthereby defining a space of-double-wedge configuration which is filledwith a suitable explosive charge 21. Located substantially centrally ofthe explosive is an elongated igniter or detonator 23, the axis of whichis generally parallel to the apices 25 and 27 of the liners 17 and 19,respectively. The detonator may take any suitable form and contains theusual explosive firing train, initiated in any one of severalconventional ways, as desired.

Turning now to FIG. 2, the form of the bomb 31 shown therein is ofsemiannular, double frustoconical shape and comprises a liner 32 havinga surface defined by a pair of semiannular, frustoconical surfaces 33and 34 joined at the frustums thereof and forming a V in cross section.The outer ends or bases of the frustoconical surfaces of the liner areclosed off by a pair of generally parallel end plates 35 and 36, thespace defined by the liner and end plates being filled with a suitableexplosive charge 37, thus giving the explosive a semiannular shape. Anigniter or detonator 39 is disposed generally along the axis of the bombfor setting off the charge.

The bombs 11 and 31 are designed to bc positioned relative to therailroad track so the liners are approximately at right angles to therails thereof and at a small height above the ground; a few inches inthe case of the wedge charge 11 and about 1 to 2 feet in the case of thesemiannular charge 29.

Ideally for greatest effectiveness, the charges should be positioned atthe optimum height and relationship with respect to the rails as bysetting them in place, as by hand. However, the bombs may be effectivelydelivered by aircraft or guided missiles in low level attacks from 10 tofeet, as by the weapons system shown and described in application Ser.No. 211,917, filed Jul. 23, 1962, by Taylor B. Joyner et al. for WeaponsSystem for Destroying Railroad Tracks", the charges being enclosed in asuitable light bomb case to assist in delivery thereof. The aerial bombmay take the form shown in FIG. 3 in which a bomb charge of thedouble-wedge type or the semiannular type is enclosed in a bomb casing41 to which is attached a drag chute 43 and guiding vane 45. The aerialform of the bomb is dropped as the carrying aircraft or guided missileis in flight over the railroad tracks, the flight of the bomb generallyparalleling the tracks and the dropping of the bomb being retarded bythe drag chute 43 until the bomb drops to the optimum distance above theground. The optimum height above the ground may be determined by aproximity fuze or by the length of an initiator probe 47 which isrelated to the detonator of the bomb in such manner as to detonate thebomb when the lower end of the probe contacts the ground. On detonationof the shaped charge within the casing, the metallic jet from the bombis directed to the sides of the bomb to impinge upon the rails 49 and 51for effectively cutting the same. The initiator probe may be of the typethat upon distortion closes a firing circuit or otherwise triggers thedetonator.

For more effective cutting of the rails, use may be made of a pair ofbombs 61 and 63, linked in'tandem as shown in FIG. 4, in which the bombsare connected together by means of a flexible member such as a cord 65,bomb 61 being supported by a drag chute 67 and bomb 63 by drag chute.69. Bomb 61 is detonated by contact of initiator probe 71 with theground and initiator probe 73 performs the same function for bomb 63.For very low level attacks a minimum of stream lining of the bombs isnecessary. For higher attacks it may be desirable to pack the tandemcharge into a single streamlined container to be opened by a delaydevice a short distance above the tracks.

There has thus been provideda light bomb which has the advantage ofdirecting a concentrated metallic jet at the target and thus permittinga small amount of explosives to produce the highly effective cutting andpenetrating action.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

We claim:

1. An aerial bomb for breaking railroad rails comprising, incombination:

an elongated casing having a longitudinal axis disposed generallyhorizontally in the operative position of the bomb;

a flat vertical guiding vane attached to the rear of said casanexplosive charge within said casing, said charge having V-groovedportions facing outwardly to the sides of the casing and symmetricalwith respect to the plane of said vane, said V-grooved portions upondetonation of said charge serving to direct concentrated jets laterallyoutwardly of said casing; and

an elongated detonator in said charge between said V- grooved portionsand generally in the plane of said vane.

'2. The bomb of claim 1 wherein said charge comprises:

a pair of V-shaped liners spaced apart with the apices thereof generallyparallel to each other and vertical;

faces joined together at the frustums thereof;

a pair of parallel plates of half-circle form each closing off the baseof one of said frustoconical surfaces, respective ly, with thediametrical edges of the plates disposed in a plane;

an explosive material filling the space defined by said liner andplates; and

said detonator disposed generally perpendicular to said plates at themidpoints of the diametrical edges thereof.

1. An aerial bomb for breaking railroad rails comprising, incombination: an elongated casing having a longitudinal axis disposedgenerally horizontally in the operative position of the bomb; a flatvertical guiding vane attached to the rear of said casing; an explosivecharge within said casing, said charge having Vgrooved portions facingoutwardly to the sides of the casing and symmetrical with respect to theplane of said vane, said Vgrooved portions upon detonation of saidcharge serving to direct concentrated jets laterally outwardly of saidcasing; and an elongated detonator in said charge between said V-groovedportions and generally in the plane of said vane.
 2. The bomb of claim1, wherein said charge comprises: a pair of V-shaped liners spaced apartwith the apices thereof generally parallel to each other and vertical; apair of generally parallel end plates having opposite side edgescontiguous to the outer edges of said V-shaped liners, respectively, anddefining therewith a double-wedge space; an explosive material fillingsaid space; and said detonator disposed within said explosive materialmidway between said apices of the liners and generally parallel thereto.3. The bomb of claim 1, wherein said charge occupies the lower portionof said casing and comprises: a liner formed with a pair of semiannularfrustoconical surfaces joined together at the frustums thereof; a pairof parallel plates of half-circle form each closing off the base of oneof said frustoconical surfaces, respectively, with the diametrical edgesof the plates disposed in a plane; an explosive material filling thespace defined by said liner and plates; and said detonator disposedgenerally perpendicular to said plates at the midpoints of thediametrical edges thereof.